This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-071140, filed Mar. 14, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
This invention relates to a recognition apparatus and recognition method for recognizing sorting information (destination address) as a character string written within a cellophane region or label region of a paper-like material, for example, a postal matter and a paper-like material processing apparatus and paper-like material processing method for sorting and processing the paper-like material based on the sorting information recognized by the recognition apparatus.
Conventionally, a sorting machine used as a paper-like material processing apparatus for sorting and processing the paper-like material based on sorting information as an address (character string) written on a paper-like material, for example, a postal matter is put into practice.
In postal matters used as the paper-like materials, particularly direct mails processed by the above sorting machine, there are many cases wherein a destination address is written within a cellophane frame (the address written on an internal enveloped can be observed from the exterior through the cellophane region).
Therefore it is useful to find out the cellophane frame for destination address recognition since finding of the cellophane frame substantially leads to finding of the address region.
Conventionally, an optical system exclusively used for extracting the cellophane region is used to detect light totally reflected from the cellophane surface and extract the cellophane region.
A method using the optical system exclusively used for extracting the cellophane region requires the additional cost of the optical system.
Further, it is desired to extract the cellophane region based only on an image of light and shade without using the optical system for extracting the cellophane region, but it is difficult to detect the cellophane region based on a difference in the light intensity since the difference in the light intensity is small between an internal portion (cellophane portion) of the cellophane frame and an outside portion (a surface of the envelope) thereof when the image of light and shade is used.
When the image of light and shade is used, a line between the cellophane portion and the surface of the envelope can be sometimes observed, but it is not clear and it is often cut off.
Further, since the addresser frame is often printed, the addresser frame (printed frame) is often extracted instead of the destination addressee frame (cellophane frame) if the frame is simply extracted. In this case, a destination address is erroneously recognized and there occurs a problem that the letter is erroneously sorted based on the erroneous recognition.
An object of this invention is to provide a recognition apparatus and recognition method capable of solving a problem that a cellophane region or label region within which a character string is written as sorting information cannot be correctly extracted, the sorting information is erroneously recognized and a paper-like material is erroneously sorted, correctly extracting a cellophane region or label region within which a character string is written as sorting information and preventing occurrence of erroneous recognition of the sorting information and erroneous sorting of the paper-like material.
According to a first aspect of this invention, there is provided a recognition apparatus for recognizing sorting information as a character string written within a cellophane region or label region of a paper-like material, comprising reading means for reading a density value of each pixel in a main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction of the paper-like material; first determining means for determining a portion in which a variation in the density value exceeds a preset value based on the density value of each pixel read by the reading means; second determining means for determining the cellophane region or label region of the paper-like material based on the portion which is determined by the first determining means that a variation in the density value exceeds the preset value; and recognizing means for recognizing the sorting information based on the character string written within the cellophane region or label region determined by the second determining means.
According to a second aspect of this invention, there is provided a recognition method for recognizing sorting information as a character string written within a cellophane region or label region of a paper-like material, comprising a reading step of reading a density value of each pixel in a main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction of the paper-like material; a first determining step of determining a portion in which a variation in the density value exceeds a preset value based on the density value of each pixel read in the reading step; a second determining step of determining the cellophane region or label region of the paper-like material based on the portion which is determined in the first determining step that a variation in the density value exceeds the preset value; and a recognizing step of recognizing the sorting information based on the character string written within the cellophane region or label region determined in the second determining step.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.